RNA polymerase

Parent categories	3. Information processing 3.2. RNA synthesis and degradation 3.2.1. Transcription
Neighbouring categories	Sigma factors
Related categories	protein-protein interactions transcription
Overview on the categories (Excel file) All genes and their categories (Excel file)

The enzyme responsible for transcription

• As an important difference as compared to the E. coli enzyme, the B. subtilis RNA polymerase has a strong preference for G as first nucleotides in transcripts PubMed

Components of the RNA polymerase

Core subunits

• RpoA: alpha subunit
• RpoB: beta subunit
• RpoC: beta' subunit

• The stoichiometry of the enzyme is RpoA(2)-RpoB-RpoC

Sigma factors

• In addition to the housekeeping sigma factor, SigA, there are several other sigma factors with different promoter recognition specifiity that are active under specific conditions (such as stress or sporulation)

Small accessory subunits

• RpoE: delta subunit
• RpoY: epsilon subunit
• YloH: omega subunit

Other interaction partners

• NusA: essential elongation factor
• NusG: transcription elongation factor PubMed
• GreA: resolves promoter proximal pausing of RNA polymerase PubMed
• CshA: DEAD-box RNA helicase PubMed
• PcrA: ATP-dependent DNA helicase PubMed

Temporary interaction partners

• Spx: transcription regulator, interacts with RpoA
• MgsR: transcription regulator orthologous to Spx, interacts with RpoA
• Btr: transcription activator PubMed
• YlyA: modulates SigG-dependent transcription PubMed

• Additional interaction partners of the RNA polymerase (no specific subunit specified)
  • HelD, TopA, CssR, RnhC, YpsC, Mfd, YpiA, YdjO, ResD PubMed

References

Reviews

Juha Kurkela, Julia Fredman, Tiina A Salminen, Taina Tyystjärvi
Revealing secrets of the enigmatic omega subunit of bacterial RNA polymerase.
Mol Microbiol: 2021, 115(1);1-11
[PubMed:32920946] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Kevin S Lang, Houra Merrikh
The Clash of Macromolecular Titans: Replication-Transcription Conflicts in Bacteria.
Annu Rev Microbiol: 2018, 72;71-88
[PubMed:29856930] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Thomas Fouqueau, Fabian Blombach, Finn Werner
Evolutionary Origins of Two-Barrel RNA Polymerases and Site-Specific Transcription Initiation.
Annu Rev Microbiol: 2017, 71;331-348
[PubMed:28657884] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Georgiy A Belogurov, Irina Artsimovitch
Regulation of Transcript Elongation.
Annu Rev Microbiol: 2015, 69;49-69
[PubMed:26132790] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Nan Zhang, Martin Buck
A perspective on the enhancer dependent bacterial RNA polymerase.
Biomolecules: 2015, 5(2);1012-9
[PubMed:26010401] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I e)

Andy Weiss, Lindsey N Shaw
Small things considered: the small accessory subunits of RNA polymerase in Gram-positive bacteria.
FEMS Microbiol Rev: 2015, 39(4);541-54
[PubMed:25878038] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Nikolay Zenkin
Multiple personalities of the RNA polymerase active centre.
Microbiology (Reading): 2014, 160(Pt 7);1316-1320
[PubMed:24763425] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Kimberly B Decker, Deborah M Hinton
Transcription regulation at the core: similarities among bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic RNA polymerases.
Annu Rev Microbiol: 2013, 67;113-39
[PubMed:23768203] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Katelyn McGary, Evgeny Nudler
RNA polymerase and the ribosome: the close relationship.
Curr Opin Microbiol: 2013, 16(2);112-7
[PubMed:23433801] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Lakshminarayan M Iyer, L Aravind
Insights from the architecture of the bacterial transcription apparatus.
J Struct Biol: 2012, 179(3);299-319
[PubMed:22210308] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Finn Werner, Dina Grohmann
Evolution of multisubunit RNA polymerases in the three domains of life.
Nat Rev Microbiol: 2011, 9(2);85-98
[PubMed:21233849] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Vladimir Svetlov, Evgeny Nudler
Macromolecular micromovements: how RNA polymerase translocates.
Curr Opin Struct Biol: 2009, 19(6);701-7
[PubMed:19889534] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Evgeny Nudler
RNA polymerase active center: the molecular engine of transcription.
Annu Rev Biochem: 2009, 78;335-61
[PubMed:19489723] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

P J Lewis, G P Doherty, J Clarke
Transcription factor dynamics.
Microbiology (Reading): 2008, 154(Pt 7);1837-1844
[PubMed:18599813] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Kristina M Herbert, William J Greenleaf, Steven M Block
Single-molecule studies of RNA polymerase: motoring along.
Annu Rev Biochem: 2008, 77;149-76
[PubMed:18410247] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Sergei Borukhov, Evgeny Nudler
RNA polymerase: the vehicle of transcription.
Trends Microbiol: 2008, 16(3);126-34
[PubMed:18280161] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Vincent Trinh, Marie-France Langelier, Jacques Archambault, Benoit Coulombe
Structural perspective on mutations affecting the function of multisubunit RNA polymerases.
Microbiol Mol Biol Rev: 2006, 70(1);12-36
[PubMed:16524917] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

W G Haldenwang
The sigma factors of Bacillus subtilis.
Microbiol Rev: 1995, 59(1);1-30
[PubMed:7708009] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)